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Memory Beta:Editing policy
The first and primary guideline of Memory Beta's editing policy is that perfection is not required – just enjoy the writing! It's always great when a well-written and informative final draft is submitted to the site, but this usually takes time. The process of getting to that final draft is what this policy page is about. What makes a wiki special is the method of collaboration that it allows – anyone can post a simple, incomplete, and poorly-written draft of an article, and anyone else can pitch in and help evolve the article into that polished, complete perfect article that everyone strives for. Therefore, you are encouraged to submit rough drafts as much as possible. One contributor might begin an article with a vague overview and a single inaccurate fact. A second contributor could come along and correct that inaccurate fact. Then a third contributor could rewrite the overview and add more concrete details and descriptions. This process goes on and on, virtually without end – because no one ever stops and says "This is the final version" and decrees that no more editing will be done. Anyone may contribute at any time. Keep in mind the following guidelines as you edit: ;Rough drafts are okay. : Don't worry if your article looks really rough, or even if it's a stub – it's always better to have some content rather than no content. ;Consider the potential of an article. : Even worse than rough drafts are those articles which are seriously garbled. Don't look on these contributions as hindrances for Memory Beta, but rather as opportunities for further expansion. ;Contradictory Information From Different Sources Is Always Included. : Don't delete information from one novel in favor of information from another, or from the canon. Memory Beta strives to be a comprehensive encyclopedia that will make use of all licensed and canonical works. If there's a contradiction between different sources, simply note the contradiction and identify the works in which the contradiction occurs. Typically, if a novel contradicts the canon or the majority of other novels, its information may be put in a separate section of an article, saying, "In the continuity of Novelname,...." ;Avoid patent nonsense. : Text that has no redeeming value may be deleted at the contributor's discretion. But as above, correct work that can be corrected. ;Different editing styles are encouraged. : Some people like to focus on contributing new articles, while others prefer to improve and expand on stub articles. Some would rather make small changes, proofreading articles and correcting formatting and grammar. All of these editing styles are welcome on Memory Beta, and all of them are essential to the editing process. ; Always check and use the talk pages. : Although we here at Memory Beta welcome anybody's contributions, it is advised that users check the articles talk page before making any additions to the article. Your potential additions may have already been discussed by previous users, and perhaps decided that their addition may not be necessary. Or if you have any queries about the validity of information you have, just ask on the articles talk page. ;Previous authors don't need to be consulted. : No one "owns" any of the text as such; therefore, everyone is free to edit any text they choose at any time. Don't worry about hurting the author's ego – chances are that there's more than one author involved in an article already. ;Don't take changes personally! : By the same token, you shouldn't be offended if anyone makes changes to an article you have edited. The text doesn't "belong" to you – or to anyone else, for that matter. Everyone is free to make edits at any time. ;Always try to preserve information. : Don't just make arbitrary deletions to an article – instead, preserve the text on the talk page or on a new archive page for future reference. Alternatives include rephrasing the content, moving text to a different article, or adding more of what you think is important. ; Reference deleted content on the talk page. : If you find false information in an article, mention it on the talk page and describe the corrections – because if one person believed it was true, chances are someone else believed it was true, too. Preserving comments helps inform later contributors. See also * Etiquette